Military Pics & Videos

[Schmidt Meister]

Coast Guard Air Station - St. Petersburg - 1955

Among the aircraft shown are Martin P5M-1G Marlin seaplanes and the smaller Grumman UF-1G Albatross amphibian. Helicopter is a Sikorsky HO4S.
In 1976 the air station moved from Albert Whitted Airport to the St Pete/Clearwater International Airport to accommodate the larger, Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
St Petersburg Times photo.

[pipedreams]

Ciapek was the Airedale Terrier mascot of the Polish 305 bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force, formed in Bramcote, Warwickshire in August of 1940.
Ciapek flew in Wellington bombers, listed on the manifest as "passenger." He flew on 9 raids before his plane went down in the North Sea. The dog was presumed lost, but the Bomber Command reported he was found, months later, wandering in the countryside with his collar and 9 little wooden bomber tags still on -- one for each of his past successful missions. Ciapek was reunited with the 305 Squadron, and remained with it long after, though he did not fly again.

 

 

[Schmidt Meister]

VT-26 TBF-1C Avenger BuNo 48080 (White 92) after ditching following a catapult mishap aboard the USS Santee (CVL-29) 13 March 1944

[Schmidt Meister]

A WWII era aircraft 'Grumman TBM Avenger' ‘successfully’ crash lands on a Florida beach after experiencing mechanical problems at a nearby air show.

 

[pipedreams]

Britain’s Green Mace AA Gun

[Schmidt Meister]

This search was brought on by a post on another blog claiming that an airship mooring to an American ship was photoshopped and never happened. It all started with the first photo. In the end I’m still not sure if the first photo is ‘real’ … structurally it seems improbable, and imo, it would be an unsound action.
In all my searching I found no record of the first photo in any historical military sites I visited so I ended up with even more doubts about its authenticity. But it was what started my search.
The USS Los Angeles (ZR-3) has engines with props that would most likely hit the carrier island. The carrier island has various projections that would easily hit the airship, which is very thin-skinned.
I am convinced it is fake as I have found multiple documentation and photos of airships MOORED TO THE STERN of ships but no other photos of an airship moored amidship like the first photo. I found a video of the Los Angeles approaching and landing on the stern of the Saratoga but that video clip doesn’t show the Los Angeles in the middle of the ship like the first photo. it looks like a touchdown and then a release.

ZR-3, USS Los Angeles, was a zeppelin built in Germany for the United States Navy as part of a reparations payment. She was our longest-serving airship from 1924-1939. Her landing onboard the USS Saratoga on 28 January 1928 was supposedly the only American airship landing on a carrier. There possibly were others during the World War II years, but I haven’t found any documented yet.

I did find a photo of an airship, SSZ-59, making a landing on the H.M.S. Furious in 1918. See the very last photo in this post.

Excerpt from the “Department of the Navy — Naval Historical Center”

USS Los Angeles, a 2,472,000 cubic foot rigid airship was built at Friedrichshafen, Germany. Her construction was partially funded by German World War I reparations and was conditional on her being employed for “civil” purposes. Completed in August 1924 under the builder’s number LZ-126, she departed Germany in mid-October 1924 for delivery to the U.S. Navy. After a three day trans-Atlantic flight, the airship arrived at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey, where her hydrogen lifting gas was replaced with non-flammable helium. This greatly increased her safety, but also significantly reduced her payload and range. In late November 1924 she was placed in commission as USS Los Angeles and began several years of flight activity to explore the potential of her type for commercial and Naval use. Between February and May 1925, she voyaged twice to Bermuda and one time to Puerto Rico, and made test moorings to the Navy’s floating airship base, the oiler Patoka*.
In June 1925, Los Angeles began an overhaul at Lakehurst, while her expensive helium gas was transferred to the older dirigible Shenandoah (ZR-1). The latter’s tragic loss, on 3 September 1925, produced a temporary shortage of helium, delaying Los Angeles’ return to flight service until March 1926. However, she was actively employed for six years after that, five of them as the Navy’s only rigid airship. During this time, in addition to her normal training and experimental duties, she was used to calibrate East Coast radio compasses, made several cross-country flights around the eastern and southern United States, landed briefly on the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga on 27 January 1928 and then continued her work with Patoka. A unique incident on 25 August 1927**, in which she briefly rose tail-high to a near-vertical position while attached to Lakehurst’s tall mooring mast, demonstrated the dangers inherent with this type of facility and led to the adoption of the “stub” mast used for more than three more decades of dirigible and blimp operations.

Photo #1 - The photo that started the search, imo, photoshopped or otherwise altered.

Photo’s #2 - 5 are of the USS Los Angeles approach to the stern of the USS Saratoga (CV-3) and mooring to the stern. Below are the links to these photos:

The next link is a short video clip of the USS Los Angeles approaching the USS Saratoga and mooring to the stern:

 

Photo’s #6 and 7 are screenshots from the video clip.

The 8th photo is the USS Los Angeles (ZR-3) rising out-of-control to a near-vertical position, while moored at the high mast at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey, shortly after 1:30 PM on 25 August 1927. This incident resulted from the sudden arrival of a cold air front that lifted the airship's tail, causing it to rise before she could swing around the mast parallel to the new wind direction. Los Angeles suffered only minor damage, but the affair demonstrated the risks involved with high mooring masts.

The 9th photo is the USS Los Angeles (ZR-3) flying over ships of the U.S. Fleet - circa 1930 - Photographed from USS Los Angeles - Ships below - USS Patoka (AO-9), Foreground, Carriers Lexington (CV-2) and Saratoga (CV-3) From what I could find this photo was taken in Panama Bay, Panama. January 1931.

The 10th photo is USS Los Angeles (ZR-3) with a Vought UO-1 Observation Plane attached to the trapeze system during mating experiments in the airship hangar at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey, 15 December 1928.

The 11th photo is USS Los Angeles (ZR-3), which had been built in Germany as Zeppelin airship LZ-126 on the left and the German Dirigible Graf Zeppelin (LZ-127) (at right) in the airship hangar at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey. Photo is dated 7 August 1929.

The 12th and 13th photo’s are the USS Los Angeles moored to the USS Patoka (AO-9), off of the Panamanian coast, February 1931, The Patoka was a converted oiler with a proper mooring mast constructed on the stern.

An experimental landing on the deck of H.M.S. Furious, by the non-rigid airship SSZ 59 in 1918. This test was carried out in the Firth of Forth to try out the possibility of taking these small airships to sea with the Fleet. The test was a success, but further experiments were prevented by the signing of the Armistice in 1918.

[pipedreams]

The USS New Jersey alongside The FS Richelieu, circa 1943.

[pipedreams]

1943 Light cruiser Trenton of the USN Southeast Pacific Force

is patrolling the western coast of South America. Current status: Scrapped in 1947

[pipedreams]

Normandy France - A M4 Sherman Tank with a bulldozer blade on a M25 Tank Transporter (G160), a combination 6x6 M26

armored heavy tank transporter/tank recovery tractor and companion 40-ton M15 trailer.

 

M25 truck looks surprisingly modern.

[Eric]

[Schmidt Meister]

The O’Laughlin tracked Jeep, a very rare example of the Jeep variants that never made it into production. The vehicle was tested by the American Army at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in September 1943.
Note the tandem tires front and rear.
Very little information is available other than a few photographs.
It was apparently a Willys MB Jeep that has been modified with parts from the Studebaker T15 Cargo Carrier.
Only two prototypes were produced and as far as anyone knows, neither have survived. The first model was basically a Willys Jeep with tracks. The second one, the O’Laughlin version was fitted with a wooden cargo body.

[Schmidt Meister]

US 7th Army M35 Prime Mover towing an M1 8” / 203mm gun with the 575th Field Artillery Battalion through Mommenheim, France on the way to the front - February 26, 1945
The M35 was a turret-less M10 Tank Destroyer used as an artillery tractor.
 

[pipedreams]

U.S. Marines roll an M1A1 Abrams tank off of a seven-bay raft system after being transported

across New River during a water-crossing operation at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[pipedreams]

[pipedreams]

Marines shield themselves from a detonated explosive charge during an urban leaders course.

[pipedreams]

1942 Soviet Russian IMZ M72 Sidecar Motorcycle with Anti-tank Rifle.

[pipedreams]

Being able to cover a 25 minute hike over rough landscape in under 2 minutes is wild.

 

[Schmidt Meister]

Hell's Angels.
The first 8th AF B-17 to complete 25 missions was of course…. ‘Hell’s Angels’
So why does the credit lie with her considerably more famous sister ship the ‘Memphis Belle’?
The answer is bureaucratic in nature - the aircraft’s moniker was not seen as wholesome enough by many promoting a righteous struggle, and despite ‘Hell’s Angels’ having achieved the feat first, the honor fell to her well-known counterpart who matched the achievement that month.
‘Hell’s Angels’ would go on to complete a remarkable 48 missions without any incidences of a crewman being injured.
Truly she had a guardian watching over her.

[pipedreams]

Jakob Nacken (221 cm), the tallest German soldier of World War II,

chatting with British corporal Bob Roberts after surrendering to him near Calais, France, 1944.

[Schmidt Meister]

F6F-5 Hellcat which was hit by kamikaze landing on the USS Randolph becomes engulfed in flames but the wounded pilot escapes thanks to the fire crew.  - Released June 28, 1945 - Official U.S. Navy Photograph - Collections Of The National Archives

The wording on this photo / video implies that the Hellcat was hit by a kamikaze and then lands the aircraft but if I am correct the aircraft lands on the carrier and damages the external fuel pod and it explodes into flames. I could be wrong. I can’t be positive if the Hellcat landing on the carrier is the same one in the photo although the aircraft both look like they have 58 or 59 painted on the fuselage, coincidence …?
Here is an excerpt of an article I found:

This almost unreal footage of World War II was taken in the Pacific Theater. Although the clip is longer and is dedicated to describing how Japanese Kamikaze pilots were prepared and trained, the Hellcat landing starts at 5:17 in the video.
Damaged, some planes land with missing landing gear while others have shot up engines and fuel tanks. Upon landing, some of them erupt in flames. The part that we are showing you here is actually close to a miracle.
When you see the thick smoke and fireballs coming out of everywhere, you’d probably think the pilot had no chance even if it was due to the sheer lack of oxygen.
The brave and tireless emergency crews on deck got as close to the plane as possible, however, spraying foam on the doomed plane. Miraculously, the pilot emerged from the steaming plane on his own and although slightly burned, seemed to be alright. As intense as this footage was, something like this was, unfortunately, a constant occurrence during the war.

(If you have several hours / days to burn …)
Suicide Bomber Pilots, Footage from WW2, 1945 [HD]. Suicide Bomber Footage - Kamikaze Pilots in action. Japanese men and boys trained for death during WWII.
Pathé video on Japanese suicide pilots during World War 2. The story behind the bombers, their training and first pictures of the killer weapons above the Pacific Ocean. Actual shots of Kamikaze attacks and their devastating impact on naval destroyers at sea. BRITISH PATHÉ'S STORY
Before television, people came to movie theaters to watch the news. British Pathé was at the forefront of cinematic journalism, blending information with entertainment to popular effect. Over the course of a century, it documented everything from major armed conflicts and seismic political crises to the curious hobbies and eccentric lives of ordinary people. If it happened, British Pathé filmed it.
Now considered to be the finest newsreel archive in the world, British Pathé is a treasure trove of 85,000 films unrivaled in their historical and cultural significance.
British Pathé also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984.
All footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website. https://www.britishpathe.com/
Subscribe to the British Pathé YouTube Channel: https://goo.gl/hV1nkf

[janice6]

2 hours ago, Schmidt Meister said:

F6F-5 Hellcat which was hit by kamikaze landing on the USS Randolph becomes engulfed in flames but the wounded pilot escapes thanks to the fire crew.  - Released June 28, 1945 - Official U.S. Navy Photograph - Collections Of The National Archives

The wording on this photo / video implies that the Hellcat was hit by a kamikaze and then lands the aircraft but if I am correct the aircraft lands on the carrier and damages the external fuel pod and it explodes into flames. I could be wrong. I can’t be positive if the Hellcat landing on the carrier is the same one in the photo although the aircraft both look like they have 58 or 59 painted on the fuselage, coincidence …?
Here is an excerpt of an article I found:

This almost unreal footage of World War II was taken in the Pacific Theater. Although the clip is longer and is dedicated to describing how Japanese Kamikaze pilots were prepared and trained, the Hellcat landing starts at 5:17 in the video.
Damaged, some planes land with missing landing gear while others have shot up engines and fuel tanks. Upon landing, some of them erupt in flames. The part that we are showing you here is actually close to a miracle.
When you see the thick smoke and fireballs coming out of everywhere, you’d probably think the pilot had no chance even if it was due to the sheer lack of oxygen.
The brave and tireless emergency crews on deck got as close to the plane as possible, however, spraying foam on the doomed plane. Miraculously, the pilot emerged from the steaming plane on his own and although slightly burned, seemed to be alright. As intense as this footage was, something like this was, unfortunately, a constant occurrence during the war.

(If you have several hours / days to burn …)
Suicide Bomber Pilots, Footage from WW2, 1945 [HD]. Suicide Bomber Footage - Kamikaze Pilots in action. Japanese men and boys trained for death during WWII.
Pathé video on Japanese suicide pilots during World War 2. The story behind the bombers, their training and first pictures of the killer weapons above the Pacific Ocean. Actual shots of Kamikaze attacks and their devastating impact on naval destroyers at sea. BRITISH PATHÉ'S STORY
Before television, people came to movie theaters to watch the news. British Pathé was at the forefront of cinematic journalism, blending information with entertainment to popular effect. Over the course of a century, it documented everything from major armed conflicts and seismic political crises to the curious hobbies and eccentric lives of ordinary people. If it happened, British Pathé filmed it.
Now considered to be the finest newsreel archive in the world, British Pathé is a treasure trove of 85,000 films unrivaled in their historical and cultural significance.
British Pathé also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984.
All footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website. https://www.britishpathe.com/
Subscribe to the British Pathé YouTube Channel: https://goo.gl/hV1nkf

In WWII in the pacific, the fire control crews on the Carriers were attributed with saving many of the ships hit and damaged severely.  The Japanese didn't have the well trained and effective fire control crews the US ships did and they lost many ships because of this.

American Carriers in the war were susceptible to Kamikazes and bombs because most had wooden flight decks and the bombs could penetrate to below decks.  The English carriers had metal flight decks and didn't have anywhere near the disasters American carriers did.  In some cases the bombs would bounce off the armored flight decks of the English instead of penetrating them.

[pipedreams]

USS Remey (DD-688), a Fletcher class destroyer, on a wild ride as she replenishes fuel from the carrier

USS Lake Champlain (CV-39) in the North Atlantic in April of 1962.

[Schmidt Meister]

Garden Key's Fort Jefferson was built as a deterrent but was never finished. The fort was primarily used as a prison for Confederate prisoners and Union deserters (as well as Dr. Mudd who lent aid and comfort to John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated President Lincoln). This circa 1950 image shows the remains of the barracks at the fort. The image is from the Louise White Collection at the Florida Keys History Center.

[Eric]

US Army Engineers make repairs to the Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine at Remagen Germany four hours before its collapse - March 17, 1945. 28 US Army engineers were killed in the collapse.

 

 

[Eric]

USS Brooklyn CL-40 in Casablanca harbor - March 1943. The first of the nine “Machine Gun Cruisers”, USS Brooklyn was commissioned in September 1937. With a primary armament of fifteen 6”/47 guns in five triple turrets, each 6”/47 gun had a maximum rate of fire of 8-10 shells a minute. Theoretically a Brooklyn-Class cruiser could fire a total of 120-150 6” rounds a minute at a target.